The rapid increase in the prevalence of obesity, type-2 diabetes and associated complications is a major global health problem. About two-thirds of adults in the United States are overweight, and almost one-third are obese, according to data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2001 to 2004. While overweight and obesity are found worldwide, the prevalence of these conditions in the United States ranks high among developed nations. Overweight refers to an excess of body weight compared to set standards. The excess weight can come from muscle, bone, fat, and/or body water. Obesity refers specifically to having an abnormally high proportion of body fat. Individuals who are obese have a 10- to 50-percent increased risk of death from all causes, compared with healthy weight individuals. Most of the increased risk is due to cardiovascular causes. Obesity is associated with about 112,000 excess deaths per year in the U.S. population relative to healthy weight individuals. Obesity is a known risk factor for diabetes, coronary heart disease, high blood cholesterol, stroke, hypertension, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea and other breathing problems as well as some forms of cancer (breast, colorectal, endometrial, and kidney).
Diabetes is a disorder characterized by hyperglycemia due to deficient insulin action that can result from reduced insulin production or insulin resistance or both. Additionally, glucotoxicity, which results from long-term hyperglycemia, induces tissue-dependent insulin resistance exacerbating the disease. Chronic hyperglycemia is also a major risk factor for diabetes-associated complications, including heart disease, retinopathy, nephropathy and neuropathy. Diabetes and obesity, sometimes now collectively referred to as “diabesity”) are interrelated in that obesity is known to exacerbate the pathology of diabetes and greater than 60% of diabetics are obese. Most human obesity is associated with insulin resistance and leptin resistance. Obesity can have an even greater impact on insulin action than diabetes itself.
Effective treatments are needed for diabetes, obesity, metabolic syndrome and other diseases and conditions associated with glucose and/or lipid metabolism and/or the disregulation thereof. The present invention satisfies this need and provides related advantages as well.